


We Made These Memories for Ourselves

by rafaelbaseball



Series: We Made These Memories for Ourselves [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Couple's Costumes, Disclosing, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Holidays, Light Angst, Lovers' Squabble, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Mentions of sex and violence, Mostly just boyfriends being cute, Rafael doesn't know how to feelings, Rafael has more secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-15 06:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11800218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rafaelbaseball/pseuds/rafaelbaseball
Summary: They never meant for their relationship to make it this far but now that they're together, they don't plan on letting go.A collection of snapshots of the days and moments Rafael and Sonny find most worthy of celebrating, no matter how big or small.--Part Three: Halloween II: Electric BoogalooAn unwanted conversation in couple's costumes leads to what might very well be the best Halloween Rafael has ever had.





	1. The Red Cups Are Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael has a secret. It's not his best kept one.

"Why do you have so much energy this morning?"

The question is asked by a still half-asleep Sonny, who's contently tucked into the side of the bed that's become _his_ side of the bed, one arm lifted above his head and resting on top of his pillow while the other lays lazily over his belly. He lifts a brow as he watches Rafael emerge from the steaming bathroom with what could arguably be called a skip in his step, one Sonny's not actually sure he's ever seen before right this second. It's not that Rafael is ever an outright prick when his alarm goes off, but Sonny wouldn't describe him as a morning person (in fact, Rafael isn't even an afternoon or night person some days) and can't recall seeing him looking so ready to face the day without at least one cup of coffee first. 

Strike that. Make it two. 

Rafael passes by the head of the bed, shrugging a shoulder and barely sparing a glance at Sonny before unwrapping the towel around his waist with a flick of his wrist, an unnecessary touch of his usual flair. He places a hand on his bare hip, pretending to look through the suits in his closet like he hasn't already picked one out for the day, and it's clearly just a ruse to keep Sonny staring at his now very naked and tempting body. It's unfair, Sonny thinks, a distraction that keeps him from asking more questions when Rafael waves a hand dismissively and tells him, "Don't worry about it, you wouldn't understand."

It would've been fine if Rafael hadn't turned around.

Instead, he lets Sonny pull him back into bed but not without excessive groaning that eventually turns into moaning when a finger, two fingers, then Sonny's cock pump into him, and it's a damn good things these walls aren't thin because neither of them hold back. Sonny's thrusts drive Rafael against the mattress, the sound of skin against skin competing against gasps and whimpers until Rafael is begging for _more_ and _harder, Sonny,_ and it isn't long after that they're both coming. They lie there together for a few minutes, Sonny rubbing small, gentle circles over Rafael's hip where there will probably be finger-shaped bruises later. Just thinking about it, knowing he'll get to see that and will be the only one who gets to see that when they both come back here tonight, is enough to send a shiver up Sonny's spine. Rafael, on the other hand, is both charmed by the afterglow and annoyed that he finds himself in need of another shower. 

This time, they conserve the water supply by jumping into the spacious shower together and even though Rafael has something decidedly Very Important to do, he can't help but indulge himself in nuzzling his nose against his lover's cheek while Sonny works shampoo through his hair. 

They've been doing this for four months now. It'd started as a one time only thing, they'd both agreed on that after they'd had a few too many celebratory drinks after winning a particularly heavy case. A kiss under a streetlight a few blocks away from the bar and the rest of the squad they'd separately left behind had led to fully clothed rutting on Rafael's couch until Sonny had finally begged to be allowed to fuck him. 

"Just this once," Sonny had promised through heavy breaths and kisses pressed against Rafael's damp skin, "please let me. I need to know what it's like to be inside you, just this once."

"Just this once" had sounded legitimate enough at the time. Six weeks later, they'd given up on calling it "one more time" and now, the hot phrase has become "we should disclose."

Sonny had tested out calling Rafael his boyfriend three months in and had been rewarded with a tiny quirk of a smile and a tongue that'd carried no arguments. 

In spite of that, Sonny considers himself distressingly out of the loop when it comes to the little things that make up all of Rafael Barba. The counselor is still a mystery to him in a number of ways. Most of Sonny's attempts at true heart-to-hearts result in Rafael dragging him into the bedroom to avoid conversations that seem to be venturing into the realm of Too Serious. They've explored each other's bodies far more often than they have each other's hearts or minds, but Sonny is patient. He can see past the surface of Rafael's resistance, has caught the soft, affection look Rafael sometimes gets when they're lounging on the couch together or holding hands under a corner table at a restaurant or even just passing each other in the precinct. Likewise, the arguments they've had over the past few months are telling of what Rafael seems to be most afraid of: that this won't last, that this will never work, that Sonny deserves better.

Though it may take time, Sonny plans to prove that if anyone deserves the world, it's Rafael.

He's gotten tidbits here and there about Rafael's life, important ones that Sonny had instantly committed to memory. Rafael had hesitantly recounted the story of how he'd gotten the scar from a cigarette burn just above his left bicep, and Sonny had never once wanted to desecrate a person's grave before that night; he'd shared how terrified he'd been to hear that Sonny had been held at gunpoint _again_ all those months ago, before they'd even started this thing between them; and he'd even admitted once, very late at night and mere seconds away from sleep, that Sonny was the best thing to happen to him in a long, long time.

All of that adds up to why Sonny doesn't push too hard to find out what has Rafael so eager to get moving today. There's a hint of boyish excitement that shows in those big, green eyes, and Sonny has no real interest in taking it away. At the very least, nothing seems dire or exceptionally out of the ordinary, so it's something he can let go for the time being; but he's fortunate in that it turns out he doesn't have to wait very long to get an answer. They Uber separately--

"Y'know, Raf, if we did disclose, we wouldn't have to do that anymore."

"You're very subtle, has anyone ever told you that before?"

\--to One Hogan Place, Sonny prepared with a story about wanting to discuss a case with the ADA before heading over to start his own shift at the 16th, but they don't head straight into the building like he expects. Instead, Rafael presses his hand against the small of Sonny's back, guiding him further down the street, and Sonny is too busy trying ignore how nice it feels to have Rafael touch him in public like this to notice that they're walking right toward the nearest Starbucks. 

He frowns when he sees the line that's formed out the door and gives Rafael a skeptical, sidelong glare. "You seriously want to go to Starbucks? What's wrong with the cart outside your office?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Rafael answers vaguely, lifting his chin while straightening is silk, red tie like he's got something to be simultaneously defiant and secretive about, which only serves to raise Sonny's suspicions that much more. "I know you like to support the moms and pops of the world, but you do know I occasionally go to Starbucks, don't you? You're a detective, after all. Plus, you've been sleeping in the same bed as me every night for the better past of the last month and a half so I know you've seen my mugs."

"Yeah, but it's _Starbucks_."

"Ah, the Fordham graduate. Ever eloquent in your arguments."

Sonny flashes him a scowl. "That's mean."

Rafael glances back, half-smirking and looking not at all contrite. "Does it mend the wound if I tell you I think you look very handsome today? Mostly because you're wearing one of my ties."

"It was good and then you ruined it," Sonny complains. "Anyway, come on, you know I'd do pretty much anything for you at this point but standing in line for an overpriced cup of coffee that doesn't even taste good isn't one of those things."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rafael says, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket and giving it a little shake. "I made a mobile order. I wouldn't subject myself to that line, either."

They have to zigzag through the gaps in the line as they cross the threshold of the cafe, earning shoot nasty glares from other customers, as if they ought to be ashamed of having thought ahead to place a mobile order in the first place like any reasonable person should do, and Sonny can only roll his eyes. 

"They giving out free coffee today or something?" Sonny asks, looking over his shoulder at disgruntled crowd. There's barely anyone who isn't checking their watches, tapping their feet, crossing their arms over their chests, all signs of people who should definitely go get their coffee from the cart across the street from Rafael's office, just like he and Rafael should be doing right now. 

"No," Rafael tells him, turning around with a large, red cup in hand and a self-satisfied smile. "It's the first day of pumpkin spice latte season."

Sonny spends the entire walk back to One Hogan Place teasing Rafael about this apparent obsession with pumpkin spice, a newly discovered fact that simultaneously does and doesn't surprise the detective. Rafael isn't usually particular about his coffee, he can't be, considering it's practically his primary food group; but at the same time, he's always been attracted to the extravagant and excessive. The pumpkin spice latte craze most certainly screams of the latter and when Sonny asks to try the drink, Rafael's eyes grow so wide that Sonny thinks he might actually succumb to an aneurysm. The eventual sip Sonny takes confirms a pumpkin spice latte is something he never wants to try again. Neither of them acknowledge the evident depth of Rafael's relief.

They stop at the cart to get Sonny a plain coffee and a Danish instead, both of which are, as he points out, perfectly respectable and reasonably priced. When they approach Rafael's office, Carmen is already there to greet them with bright eyes that fade to something closer to disappointment when she catches sight of the red cup in Rafael's hand. 

"Oh, you _did_ go already," she says, and Sonny can't stop staring because he's almost certain he's never actually seen Carmen pout before. "There's another one on your desk, I put it in my calendar to make sure you wouldn't miss out on getting one."

"Wait," Sonny says, holding up a hand before bringing his fingertips to his head to rub at his temple. "You knew about this?"

"What, Mr. Barba's love for pumpkin spice lattes? Of course. He drinks them all the time, whenever the season comes back around." Carmen pauses, smiling sweetly, then adds, "Don't worry, detective, there's plenty of time. You'll catch up."

A snort escapes from Rafael, though it lacks its usual derision. "Okay, thank you, Carmen, I think Detective Carisi has reached his quota for mockery for at least the next ten minutes."

("Wait, I was being mocked?" The question is ignored.)

"No surprise meetings on the books, right?"

Carmen shakes her head, looking down at the open calendar book on her desk. "Nothing until nine. I'll do my best to hold calls until Detective Carisi has to leave."

_Has_ to leave. 

Apparent mockery aside, that makes Sonny smile. Carmen had been the first to pick up on the fact that there'd been something more than professional going on between Sonny and Rafael, but that doesn't necessarily come as an enormous surprise. There are few people who know Rafael and his mannerisms better, Carmen has learned to match each facial twitch or lift of an eyebrow with a particular mood, and it's what's kept her employed as Rafael's assistant for so long. With a quick mind and sharp wit, it's never been any wonder why Rafael likes her so much; but it's only more recently that she's been looking out for Sonny, too, that Sonny can see how deeply loyal she really is to her boss. 

They owe her a lot for warning calls to the office that's kept them from getting caught in an embrace by an unexpected visitor. What sticks with Sonny most, though, is the time she'd held him back on his way out of the office and laid a hand down on his arm. "He smiles a lot more now," she'd said. "So do you. Just keep being good to each other, okay?"

The part about breaking Sonny's legs if he ever breaks Rafael's heart had been unspoken.

"I'm working on convincing him to give you a raise," Sonny tells her now with a grin as he and Rafael step into the office. 

"I'm not the one who needs convincing," Rafael corrects, exchanging a look with Carmen before closing the door behind him. 

True to her word, Carmen manages to either withhold calls or avoid them altogether, and Sonny gets a whole hour to tease Rafael about pumpkin spice and Starbucks. Rafael only threatens to have him removed from the premises twice, though that's only because the topic of conversation does end up shifting to Sonny actually asking after cases.

The next time Sonny comes back to the office is just after noon and this time, with Liv. It isn't a social call, there's a new case involving a young woman who's been assaulted by her boyfriend and his identical twin brother. The twin refuses to admit he'd played a part in the assault, Liv has explained, and seeing as the DNA results from the samples taken for the rape kit are all coming in exactly the same, Rafael can certainly see where this is going.

Already feeling a migraine coming on, he squeezes the bridge of his nose with a sigh. His prescription migraine medication is in his drawer, along with the over-the-counter stuff he prefers to try first, but he hasn't eaten yet today and can feel the call for both food and caffeine practically ringing in his ears.

"Hey, counselor, you doing okay?"

The question is innocuous, it'd be stranger if Sonny hadn't asked, but Rafael hears the hint of worry laced through it and has to hold back an affectionate smile when he answers with a slight nod. 

"Just need a caffeine boost and something to eat, that's all," Rafael says, lowering himself into his chair and sighing as he kicks his feet onto his desk. "It can wait."

Liv studies him for a moment before turning to Sonny, apparently having come to a decision that distinctly lacks Rafael's input. "Carisi, can you--"

"Yeah, Lieu, definitely." Sonny had already come to the same conclusion and it earns him a tight smile of approval from Liv, a groan from Rafael. "I'll, uh-- I'll run just down the block and grab lunch for all of us, sandwiches or something." He fixes Rafael with a pointed look that Liv doesn't seem to notice. "And coffee."

Just down the block, Rafael suspects, translates to making a stop at Starbucks and for that, he finally allows himself to offer Sonny a grateful smile. They try not to make it obvious how much their relationship has changed in front of other people, even if it is time they disclose their relationship to the proper channels, one of which is standing right in this room with them. They haven't discussed it in great detail quite yet, just brought it up here and there, but in this particular moment, the prospect seems to weigh heavy in the air. Maybe, Rafael thinks, they can have that talk tonight.

"Okay, I'll be back," Sonny says, already stepping toward the door. He doesn't need to take food orders, he has a deli near the Starbucks in mind and is already well-versed in Liv and Rafael's preferences. In fact, that's all he's thinking about when Rafael speaks again. 

"Thanks, Sonny."

He thinks nothing of it at first, it sounds natural to him now, but then he hears Liv say, "Did you just call him--" and Sonny is out the door faster than Rafael had gotten out of bed this morning for his pumpkin spice latte.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all typos are mine. I was just thirsty for some fluffy Barisi and okay, fine, I'm also eagerly awaiting pumpkin spice latte season. I don't know how a quick phone fic turned into a 2700+ word fic but here we are!


	2. What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's nearing Halloween but Rafael can't quite get into the spirit of watching scary movies the way Sonny does.

Disclosing had turned out to be significantly less dramatic than Sonny had built it up to be in his head. 

They'd signed the disclosure forms with the Lieu first, then the DA, he and Rafael had exchanged the noncommittal lectures they'd each received once everything was said and done: workplace conduct, specifications on what cases Rafael can and can't take, all the things they'd expected and had quietly been putting into practice the past couple months. Rafael had mentioned the DA hadn't really seemed to bat an eye, but Sonny had experienced something different with Liv. She'd called him into her office the day after finding them out, had stared at Sonny for a good, long while, to the point that he'd actually started getting antsy; but in the end, she'd told him she was wondering why Rafael had seemed so much happier lately.

Not overtly happy, of course, more in the sense that he'd been a bit softer in his arguments and thoughtful with his approaches. The entire squad knows Rafael to be effective, he's sharp and an excellent improviser in a tight spot, but for the most part, the layers to be found beneath that tough exterior are rarely made available for study. 

That is, apparently, exactly why Amanda and Fin had both suspected something was going on in the first place. Frankly, Sonny had expected stunned expressions when he'd revealed the truth, maybe a few unwarranted accusations or outbursts. Why, he isn't sure, maybe because being in a relationship with Rafael has become so important to him that he'd anticipated it being just as important to everyone else they'd told. 

Instead, Fin had only rolled his eyes with a knowing smirk and Amanda had punched Sonny hard on the arm. 

"I can't believe you waited this long to say something," she'd said. "Has it been six months yet?"

"Five now," Sonny had told her, rubbing his smarting arm. "Why?"

Fin had helpfully added, "You owe me twenty bucks, Rollins." 

As it turns out, Amanda had bet the relationship wouldn't last six months and Fin had bet they'd disclose _within_ six months. Sonny thinks he'd be more hurt about Amanda's wager if it didn't seem very possible that this relationship would turn out to be on a road to nowhere. On paper, it might seem like that's how it should've gone and sometimes, he still can't believe himself that Rafael would actively choose to be with Sonny when he could almost definitely have his pick of anyone. 

Sonny has pointed out, more than once, the way men and women check Rafael on the street. People have done actual double takes, which is completely fair because Rafael looks like Rafael does, but it always feels like a little bit of a punch to the gut. Rafael only ever rolls his eyes and claims it's the suits, the suits turn heads, and that's the intention. 

That's the armor, is what Rafael means to say, they both know it. With brightly colored ties and matching socks others can rarely see, Rafael deflects in the form of clothing, relying on that first impression to keep people from digging too much deeper. 

"Expensive suits keep heads turning," Rafael had told Sonny once, "but they generally attract people with money and power and those are the very people who are rarely interested in anything more than themselves. They're the ones who don't care much to look past the surface, and the ones who do have probably written me off as a pretentious asshole."

He'd been slipping on a silk-backed vest then, the brown one that Sonny had bought a much cheaper version of long before they'd started dating to emulate this man he'd so admired. The one he so loves now, even if they haven't actually said the words to each other yet. Hearing that had been what'd made Sonny realize that everything for Rafael is a fight, maybe not consciously, but because he's been fighting all his life. 

That's why Sonny strives to make their time alone together simple, free of worry, even if that proves to be next to impossible most of the time, considering what they each do for a living. Still, in those quiet moments when Rafael's breathing slows and his head lies heavy on Sonny's chest, it's worth it. All that fight, all that tension, all the stress lines on Rafael's face fade away when they fall asleep together, and Sonny knows he's never seen anything so beautiful as Rafael Barba at peace. 

Tonight, though, on a shared night off at Rafael's apartment, Sonny is _not_ seeing Rafael at peace. What he's seeing now is Rafael very clearly trying to avoid coming over to relax on the couch, like he's been doing every time Sonny's popped in another DVD the past few weeks. It's not as if Rafael isn't something of a busybody, the man has terrible difficulty staying still, even in the courtroom. There's always a heel subtly tapping or a pen being rolled or a quiet sigh moving Rafael's shoulders. To see him now, pulling case files from his briefcase and laying them out on the dining table that's conveniently just out of view of the television, Sonny can't help but feel a little suspicious.

Yes, they're working on a case, but it's early yet and anyway, there's only so many times Rafael can go over the same paperwork he'd surely gone over earlier in the day. Sonny isn't necessarily inclined to ask questions, at least not right now, but Rafael has generally been good about setting work aside for when they get time like this together. The past few weeks, it's been a different story.

"You're gonna miss the movie," Sonny calls out, doing his best to keep his tone neutral. He's not sure he's entirely successful.

"I have work to do." It's a statement that would probably be much more effective if Rafael hadn't already changed into a plain black shirt and a pair of grey sweats. He doesn't look at all the part of a bullheaded counselor; instead, he's just stepped effortlessly into the role of a bullheaded boyfriend.

"Okay, but you said that the last three movies, too. At a certain point, Movie Night is actually going to have to be, y'know, _Movie Night_. For both of us. Now come on, I've got a bowl of popcorn with both our names on it."

"Oh, I know. Listening to two minutes of it popping is always a joy."

Sonny huffs, straightening on the couch and inching toward the edge. The movement is enough to get Rafael's attention, even if it's only in the form of a challenging raised eyebrow. "If you don't get your ass over here right now, I'm going to shred all those files one by one until you do."

Unmoved, Rafael deadpans, "Is that what you think my version of a horror movie would be like?"

" _Raf_."

Slapping one of his files down onto the table, Rafael tosses a hand up in the air, though he's already rolling his neck and heading over to the couch to lower himself next to Sonny. "Are you happy now? My god, you're relentless."

Sonny's smile is smug, and he relaxes back against the couch before slinging an arm over Rafael's shoulders, pulling his boyfriend closer so he can press a kiss against Rafael's cheek. "Isn't that how I got you?"

"You got me because you're you. If you're going to sell yourself short, don't do it on account of us." That clearly takes Sonny aback, if only because he hadn't expected something so sentimental in the midst of all the lip, and the too long beat of silence between them is enough to make Rafael add, "That doesn't mean I have to love everything about you, by the way."

Sonny recovers quickly enough to turn his already pleased smile into an outrageously dimpled grin, though he does commit what Rafael had said to memory to examine later. "Love, huh?"

The teasing is met with rolled eyes. "Quiet, you're going to miss the movie."

"I haven't even started it yet."

"Then start it, you're the one who was in such a hurry to get me over here."

"Do you love _that_ about me? That I don't even want to start Movie Night without you?"

Rafael sighs, even as he shifts to get comfortable, his head leaning back against Sonny's shoulder and a hand resting on Sonny's knee. "Start the movie before I decide work really is more appealing."

Sonny doesn't bother coming up with a retort because Rafael's right, the point of getting him over here had been so they could enjoy the movie together and damn it, that's what they're going to do because it's in the spirit of the season. With Halloween coming up next week, Sonny had picked the obvious but also one of his favorites: _Halloween_ , the original, the classic, the only one actually worth watching. 

But even as the movie starts, Sonny finds his mind drifting. 

The original, the classic, the only one worth watching. That's a little bit how he feels about Rafael, really, which is cheesy as hell and exactly why he doesn't plan on saying it out loud. There's only one of this man, and Sonny's the one who gets to spend the passing nights with him. The first time Rafael had draped an arm over his chest and drifted off to sleep after sex, Sonny had thought it was a mistake, that Rafael had just been too tired to see him out. Then it'd happened again, then again, then again, neither of them ever bringing up the fact that they'd gone from just occasionally fucking to actually sleeping together. It hadn't been until Sonny had arrived to find a new toothbrush waiting for him in the bathroom that he'd let himself start to accept that his feelings weren't one-sided.

He thinks about that a lot but thinking about it too much is a trap he's fallen into a few too many times. Sonny had tired of it, wondering whether Rafael might start believing this is a mistake, never mind the fact that he knows Rafael has had the very same thoughts. There's a reason why Rafael's hold on him grows tighter when Sonny tries to roll out of bed in the middle of the night for a glass of water. There's a reason why Sonny insists on touching Rafael in some way or another whenever they're away from prying eyes. Somewhere along the line, they'd grown very much attached to each other, but they hadn't actually discussed it enough for it to seem entirely real.

That's largely due to insecurity, Sonny knows, but it's not like Rafael hadn't given him reason to worry. Early on, before the toothbrush, maybe just a few weeks into the sex they'd been calling casual at the time, Rafael had tried to end this. It'd come seemingly out of nowhere, a sudden shift in their dynamic, because the previous night, Sonny had kissed him and left the apartment in a great mood. The next day, Rafael had seemed to be avoiding him until finally, they'd found themselves sharing a moment alone in Rafael's office.

"We need to stop," Rafael had said. "What we're doing, whatever this is. It's a bad idea."

Sonny hadn't wanted to know the answer but hadn't been able to ask himself from meekly asking, "Why?"

"I'm not an experiment, Carisi," Barba had answered flatly. 

His expression hadn't betrayed his words, Sonny could hear the bitterness there, and the intensity of it had nearly knocked him over. It'd been the kind of thing that must have required hours of mulling over, lying awake in bed, probably staring at the ceiling and thinking back on the time they'd already spent together. To imagine Rafael doing that, second-guessing himself and Sonny's intentions while Sonny had slept soundly... Well, it'd filled Sonny with a profound sense of guilt and shame. 

"I'm not here for you to get the sin out of your system. I've been that before, and I'm too damn old to be playing games like that now. So we need to stop. Do you understand?"

It'd clicked fairly quickly. The victim of the case they'd been working on then had been a young, Catholic woman who'd feared the wrath of her parents finding out she'd been having sex out of wedlock and with a woman, no less. The dots hadn't been exceptionally difficult to connect. That'd been the first time Sonny had been forcefully hit with the realization that he couldn't let Rafael go. 

He'd shown up at Rafael's apartment later that night with a DVD, _Pretty Woman_ ("I swear on your life, Sonny, if you ever tell anyone that's my favorite movie, we're through!"), and a ten-pack box of Pop Secret. 

"No sex tonight," Sonny had said, slipping past Rafael uninvited into the apartment. Rafael had let him. That'd been enough of a _mea culpa_ in itself.

"Hell of a way to greet someone," Rafael had grumbled, but he hadn't been able to hide the twitch of a pleased smile.

"We're not a bad idea," Sonny had told him. He'd cut to the chase because doing anything else seemed pointless. Expressing his feelings, explaining how much he cared to make a relationship work, had only ever been difficult with Rafael, but Sonny thinks now that's because he'd wanted it so badly. What he'd felt, what he _feels_ for Rafael is unlike anything he's ever experienced before, and the prospect of losing it had left a distinct ache in his chest. "I would never use you like that. I would never go out of my way to hurt you. Believe me when I say you're important to me, okay? I'm willing to fight for this if you are because I think we're onto something here. If you don't feel the same way then I'll let myself out right now, but I--"

Rafael had cut Sonny off with a kiss, a passionate one, his way of saying he'd heard and felt every single word. They'd ended they night by watching _Pretty Woman_ while swatting at each other's hands over buttery popcorn, and they've done their best to fit in at least one Movie Night a week since, schedules allowing.

The meaning behind these nights is what makes it so puzzling that Rafael has been keeping himself so busy the last few times, wandering over to the couch to watch a few minutes of _Friday the 13th_ or _Nightmare on Elm Street_ or _It_ before heading back to do something like wash dishes or organize his paperwork, all things that could be saved for another time. Even now, Rafael's shoulders are tense, and Sonny can't miss the way Rafael's fingers are knotted in the hem of his shirt.

It occurs to Sonny then, in a flash of stunned realization.

"Are you scared?" The question is blurted out, Sonny hadn't quite meant to be that blunt about it but it's kind of delightful to think that his showboating, chest puffing boyfriend would find a weakness in horror flicks. "You are! Aw, Raf, don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rafael snaps, lightly shoving Sonny away from him but just as he does, Jamie Lee Curtis lets out a bloodcurdling scream and Rafael soon follows suit, which only results in a surprise yelp of Sonny's own. Rafael buries his head against Sonny's shoulder, clutching and clawing at whatever he can, whether it be Sonny's shirt or arm or shoulder or hair and--

" _Ow_ , Raf, easy!" Sonny rubs at the tender spot at the back of his head where Rafael had tugged hard, wrapping both arms around Rafael now and waiting for his boyfriend's breathing to even back out into something resembling normal. If he were to put a hand against Rafael's chest, Sonny suspects he'd be able to feel a fast beating heart. "Why didn't you just tell me? I've been popping these in the past three weeks."

"You like them," Rafael says after taking a steadying breath. "I'm not _always_ interested in spoiling your fun."

"Oh, please," Sonny tells him, threading his fingers gently through Rafael's hair, "I'm enough fun for the both of us, you could never spoil that. Besides, we could be watching, I don't know, _Sesame Street on Ice_ or something, all that'd matter to me is if you were sitting next to me."

Rafael's fingertips dip under the collar of Sonny's shirt, tracing absent patterns that only reinforce what Sonny is saying because nothing could beat this. These moments are theirs and theirs alone, these moments are the ones Sonny will never forget because to spend this kind of time with Rafael is rare with their busy schedules but nevertheless, they make the effort. This is something they both want, something they both _need_. The movie could be taken out of the equation entirely but then again, why mess with a good thing?

It'd been a good thing until now, anyway, and Sonny covers Rafael's ears as Michael Meyers lunges out at another unsuspecting victim in the movie. "Don't look, I'll turn it off after this, okay?"

"No, stop, I'm not four," Rafael says, pulling himself free of Sonny's grip. "You're just going to have appreciate the fact that I'm suffering on your behalf. Also, I'd never watch _Sesame Street on Ice_ with you. I have to draw the line somewhere."

"So just to be clear," Sonny says, knowing very well what a thin line he's about to approach, "if you wake up on Halloween morning to Michael Meyers in bed next to you--"

"Remember that time you said you'd never go out of your way to hurt me?"

Sonny softens at that. It's a hell of a thing, the way they often seem to find themselves on the same page. He knows people might not _get it_ once they learn he and Rafael are together, he knows there are always going to be skeptics who wonder how two very different people can function as a couple. Sonny would argue they're more alike than most people might think and anyway, what does it matter? They work because they work, he's never going to question it because he's never felt so complete in his life.

"I remember," he says, dropping a kiss to Rafael's forehead, letting it linger before nudging his nose against the same spot. "That another one of the things you love about me?"

Sonny can practically _feel_ Rafael's eyes rolling against his chest. He hadn't realized such a thing could be possible but then, Rafael always seems to manage to do the impossible.

"You're pushing it," Rafael warns, but it doesn't do anything to dampen Sonny's mood, especially not with the edge of playfulness laced in Rafael's tone. "You're lucky I let you choose the movie at all."

"Well, I am lucky," Sonny agrees, grinning when Rafael turns his face away from the screen again as ominous music sounds back up. "I'm very lucky."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and for posting such lovely comments. You don't know how much it means to me to receive such encouraging and positive feedback and hopefully, I can continue to post more for you all to consume and enjoy! Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
> 
> To be completely honest, Barba is me in this chapter. I enjoy scary movies from afar but get me directly in front of them, and I'm nothing but a wreck! Major thanks to [chickcheney](http://archiveofourown.org/users/chickcheney/pseuds/chickcheney) for being my most wondrous beta! I'm going to take a second to plug and implore you to go read her excellent Barisi fic [Want and Able](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11873073/chapters/26809677). (Maybe not while you're at work. Or heck, maybe definitely while you're at work, I don't know your life.)
> 
> A hint for the next chapter I'm working on: a second part to Halloween. Grumpy Rafael and sunny Sonny. Couple's costume. Hope to see you there!


	3. Halloween II: Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwanted conversation in couple's costumes leads to what might very well be the best Halloween Rafael has ever had.

Rafael can't believe he's let himself be talked into this. 

This party is inclusive of everything he finds less than palatable: children, awful music, and strangers trying to make feeble conversation with him. In fairness, the entire affair is being held at Liv's place. It's a respectably sized get-together where other parents she's befriended have brought Noah's playmates to rejoice in a night reserved for over-consumption of candy or alcohol, depending on one's age range. 

Rafael is hoping for the latter. He's already gone through four fingers of scotch that he'd brought himself because to arrive at a party without some kind of gift is rude. The fact that the gift is intended mostly for himself is largely irrelevant. 

Surrounded by loud, screaming children in costume and the mothers and fathers who want to show them off, _including_ Liv and Amanda (which somehow feels like a betrayal), his only real saving grace is Sonny. Even then, his boyfriend has abandoned him in favor of playfully dangling a bag full of fruit snacks over the heads of a Princess Leia, a Captain America, a Shamrock crayon, and some kind of goblin-slash-wolf creature (clearly the product of parents who'd waited until the last minute to secure a costume for their child). Rafael thinks the goblin wolf is his favorite of the four. At least it's different, if lacking any actual sense. 

Sonny, for his part, looks exceptionally smart tonight in a three-piece suit, having borrowed Rafael's red silk-backed vest and a pair of suspenders that would look much better off. He'd been complimented numerous times after they'd walked through the door of the costume party; meanwhile, everyone had hesitated upon seeing Rafael's ensemble with a distinct look in each of their eyes that'd screamed, "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

They can't be blamed.

Decked in jeans and a maroon shirt that reads, "Trust me. I'm a lawyer" in white block lettering, Rafael supposes it's not immediately obvious, except perhaps to those who know them both very well. In fact, he'd caught Amanda smirking at him whilst balancing Jesse, dressed as an admittedly adorable cowgirl this evening, on one hip so she could sip from her beverage and Fin's subtle quirk of an eyebrow before offering, "Nice costume, Counselor" and immediately wandering off had not at all been appreciated. 

In much smaller print underneath the so very hilarious tagline of the shirt is a logo bearing the name of Fordham University. Rafael, as he's had to explain over and over and over this evening, is dressed as his significant other, and Sonny is dressed as him. 

"Oh!" has been the most common, still somewhat perplexed response, followed by the occasional, "How cute!"

"Guess whose idea this was," Rafael tells Liv dryly now, pursing his lips in a false display of irritation when she does nothing but laugh into her drink. "'It'll be great,' he said. 'Best costume of the night award,' he said."

"Oh, come on, Barba, it's sweet," Liv insists, grinning far too widely for it to be anything less than just shy of mocking. Rafael squints at her but it doesn't deter Liv in the slightest. "I think he did want to be just like you, you know. Let him live out the fantasy for the night before he remembers the real Rafael Barba doesn't smile nearly as much as he does."

"Har har." Gesturing vaguely at her glass, Rafael adds, "That scotch was meant for me."

"I know, that's why I'm enjoying a pour before you empty it out." 

The door opening behind them earns both their attention and it's once Liv shouts out a, "Bev, hi! Oh, look how sweet Grace is, what a beautiful ballerina!" that Rafael knows the conversation is at a temporary end. He waves her off to greet her guest, returning his gaze to the rest of the room while dwelling on how he still finds it somewhat difficult to reconcile Mom Liv and Lieutenant Benson and His Friend Liv all at once sometimes. It's like she and Amanda both work two full-time jobs, between SVU and being single mothers. There's no denying it's admirable but more than anything else, seeing it now as a grown man only makes him all the more appreciative of knowing what his mother had put herself through when he'd been a child.

The thin arm that snakes around his waist is what draws him out of his thoughts, and Rafael is too caught off guard to protest in a way that wouldn't be genuine in the first place when Sonny presses a kiss against his cheek. 

"Hey, you having fun?"

Rafael shrugs a shoulder, maintaining an unnecessary air of superiority even as he leans into Sonny's touch and takes another sip of his scotch. "I'd be having much more fun if I wasn't dressed like I'm looking for a handout."

"Watch it. You're still in designer jeans, by the way, so you can't say that."

"Regardless, it could be worse. I haven't had any kids trying to climb on me yet, but you were also my buffer and now you're here."

Sonny grins, tightening his hold around Rafael's waist, his tone taking on a teasing edge. "You want me to go back to playing with the kiddies?"

"Don't you dare."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

They stand together observing the crowd for a moment, neither of them speaking but neither of them necessarily feeling the need to say anything just for the sake of saying it. This is something that's taken time, particularly on Sonny's part. For months, he'd filled every potential stretch of silence with some tangential story or another, something about his sisters or his parents or an ex-girlfriend he'd had or a supposedly funny story that'd inevitably turn out to be only vaguely amusing. Rafael hadn't ever told him to stop, he does like hearing the stories Sonny is willing to tell him; but he has to admit that falling asleep in Sonny's arms is much easier when Sonny's stopped talking.

"You ever think about it?" Sonny asks then.

Rafael blinks, tearing his gaze away from the wolf goblin from earlier who's currently, _foolishly_ , switching masks with a Darth Vader. "Think about what?"

"Having kids."

The silence that falls between them now is not like the kind Rafael has come to appreciate. Interrupted by the sounds of chatter and Mickey Mouse singing about witches, that silence hangs heavy in the air while Sonny waits for an answer and Rafael tries desperately to come up with one. 

Has he ever thought about having kids? Yes. Yes, of course he has, but does he think about it now? Not so much, no. When he thinks back on his own childhood, it isn't entirely pleasant, though it's not as if he can't pull the worthy memories from deep within his mind. Rafael is not a product of his father, there's no question of that, he's always taken more after his mother and she'd done her best. She'd done her best and sometimes, it hadn't been enough but those years are behind them now and so is the source of most of the tension between them. To raise a child requires patience Rafael isn't sure he can spare, a willingness to open his heart unconditionally to someone, again, and he's heard it a hundred times over how others hadn't thought they'd make good parents until they'd found themselves in that position; but when Rafael tries to picture that kind of life for himself, the problem he runs into is that he can't quite picture it at all. 

Rafael lowers his voice, still audible over the music but only just loud enough for Sonny to hear. "Is this really the place for this conversation?"

Sonny's arm loosens around him just the slightest bit, it'd be barely noticeable if not for the subject matter. Rafael mourns the small bit of warmth it costs him. 

"Didn't think it'd be such a loaded question," Sonny says, the hint of defensiveness in his tone betraying his obvious intent to remain casual and unbothered.

This isn't a fight Rafael wants to have, though he can't deny he'd anticipated it'd likely come eventually. The topic of children is something that's important to Sonny, this Catholic former altar boy who hails from a family that'd given him three other siblings. It's not a surprise, Sonny is a natural with kids, Rafael has seen it firsthand enough times to know it isn't just a fluke. He connects with children effortlessly where Rafael treats them exactly as they are, like _kids_ , which apparently isn't the most effective way of interacting with them nine times out of ten. 

"You'd be a good dad," Sonny continues, but that makes Rafael frown.

Shaking his head, he shifts to better face Sonny. "What makes you think so? Really. What could I have possibly done or said to make you think that? Have you seen me with kids?"

"You're good with Noah now," Sonny points out. 

"He's the only child I see regularly, at this point he's just tolerating me."

"You'd be good with my niece."

"Maybe," Rafael answers, shrugging, "if you ever decide I'm worth introducing."

That makes Sonny flinch, and he ducks his head to avoid eye contact. "Come on, don't do that."

"Why? You're asking me if I want kids in the middle of an adolescent Halloween party while we're dressed like each other after five months of dating, but I can't talk to you about meeting your family? Preferably outside of the courthouse."

Rafael hadn't meant to spark this on, but he always seems to find a way to do just that. It's a quality in himself that's both valuable and terrifying. In the courtroom, it's a gift; with Sonny, it only reminds Rafael of nights hiding from his father and maybe he hasn't only taken after his mother after all. 

"It was just a question," Sonny says. His exasperated sigh is small, quiet, but noticeable. 

Hurtful. 

Rafael tries to pull away but looks up in surprise when Sonny refuses to let go. 

"Stop, okay?" Biting down on his lip, Sonny takes Rafael's hand and nods toward the unoccupied kitchen. It's open, they'll be completely visible to anyone who bothers to look over at them so it doesn't afford any real privacy, but Rafael follows without question, filled to the brim with uncertainty. His bottle of scotch is on the counter, Sonny opens it and pours a little extra into Rafael's glass before finding one of his own to do the same. 

"Look, I'm just gonna say it," Sonny says, his back still turned. 

Rafael can hear more than just a single pour of scotch flowing into the glass. Even without seeing Sonny's face, Rafael can read so much: the tension in Sonny's shoulders, the way the curve of his jaw keeps moving just so, as if he's censoring himself before he can get the words he wants to say out of his mouth. These things are immediately visible to Rafael because they've gotten to know each other remarkably well over the past few months and with an accompanying tightness in his throat after a sip of his scotch, he's suddenly overcome with a colder terror that any horror flick could instill in him that he might have pushed this a little too far.

"Say what?"

Sonny turns to face him then, his expression more thoughtful than aggravated like Rafael had expected. For another maddening few seconds, Sonny looks like he's weighing his options, ones Rafael can't figure out, then takes a step forward while swirling his still otherwise untouched scotch in his glass. "It's something I've been wanting to say for awhile. Didn't really see myself telling you, you know, _here_ , but I guess there's no time like the present, right?"

Shrugging a shoulder near defensively, Rafael answers, "Whatever it is, just spit it out."

There's vague amusement sparkling in Sonny's eyes. Rafael wants to look away but finds it's very much impossible.

"I love you."

 _Well_. 

That hadn't been at all what Rafael had expected. It takes him longer than it maybe should to recognize that the reason he feels frozen in place now isn't because of fear but because of relief. 

Relief that's accompanied by a faster beating heart, but relief all the same.

"I love you," Sonny says again, letting slip a short laugh. "It feels good to say it, I've been holding it back for weeks. I love you, Raf. I love learning all these little things about you: pumpkin spice lattes and scary movies and the way your nose wrinkles up when your smile is genuine or you think something's really funny. Your nose wrinkles like that with me, you know that?"

"No, it doesn't," Rafael answers, lifting his chin in mock defiance. Damn Sonny Carisi, though, when he's right he's right. Rafeal can feel his nose is starting to wrinkle even now with the slight upturn of the corners of his mouth.

"I haven't introduced you to my family yet or offered it or anything," Sonny continues, sounding contrite. "That's on me. I keep making excuses to meet your mom, that's on me, too. It's not because I'm ashamed to be with you, okay? Please, don't even for a second think that. It's because _it's only been five months_ but me, I've wanted you for a lot longer than that. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking something's going to go wrong, that you won't want to be with me anymore or whatever, it sounds stupid saying it out loud."

"It does," Rafael agrees sharply, but he understands. He's had the same thoughts. Sonny knows that.

The comment is left ignored, the best possible choice Sonny could have made. "I just wanted to make sure if we were going to introduce each other to family that this was a sure thing. If you want to meet my family, I'll set it up, no problem. You'll be on the receiving end of parents who still don't really know how to handle the fact that their only son is bisexual, but we can deal with that if that's what you want." Pausing, then sounding hopeful, Sonny adds, "Is that what you want?"

Huffing with a roll of his eyes, Rafael counters, "Isn't that what started this argument in the first place? Obviously I want to meet them."

"No, the argument started because you acted like me asking if you ever thought about having kids was equivalent to me demanding we go find a surrogate right this second."

"I'd at least point out adoption is an option first, for the record."

Sonny looks about ready to throw his hands up in the air and be done with this but ever the picture of patience in their relationship, he steps forward to take Rafael's free hand in his own instead. "Okay, let me just spell this out to you because it's pretty clear we both need practice with that. I don't need you to do cartwheels over wanting kids to love you or having them or anything to do with them. Except for my niece, you're obligated to love her or it's a problem. But I don't need you to love baseball or laugh at all my jokes or agree with everything I say, either. It's not like you do any of that in the first place. Tell me you believe all that."

In the face of silence, Sonny narrows his eyes. He needn't be worried, Rafael just can't bring himself to break away from reveling in the soft caress of Sonny's thumb against his skin quite yet.

"Raf, if you don't say something in the next two seconds, I'm going to need more than one glass of scotch to get me through the rest of this night."

"You overpoured your first."

"Rafael."

"You love me."

Sonny's exasperation returns but it's fonder now, softer, in a way that Rafael has noticed is only ever reserved for him. Sonny's cheeks have turned a light shade of pink, the flush will only worsen now that he's finally taking that first sip of scotch. Rafael knows that heat will extend down the length of Sonny's chest, too, behind that vest and tie, underneath those suspenders. He loves that, loves kissing his way over the flushing trail that leads him down the length of Sonny's body, and he has to remind himself that they're still very much in public before Liv physically removes them from her home.

"I'm a pain in your ass, but you love me anyway."

"You don't have to say it back. I wasn't even going to say it tonight, I had a whole plan."

It's beside the point, but it piques Rafael's interest. "What was the plan?"

"I'm not going to tell you about the plan."

"Just tell me about the plan."

Far too easily defeated, Sonny leans against the kitchen counter, his gaze flickering between his loafers and Rafael's intense, curious eyes. His thumb still absently traces small circles over Rafael's hand, it's a welcome form of comfort for them both. "I was going to tell you when we hit six months. We're close to it, but I was going to cook for you, set up dinner at your place, with candles and all that. We'd put some music on, we'd dance in the living room a little, then when the moment was right, I'd say it. I love you, Rafael."

It's sweet, awfully romantic, everything that is quintessentially Sonny. They can still do all those things, of course, but Rafael has to admit that a part of him prefers this. A spurred urge to make declarations of love on Halloween in Olivia Benson's kitchen while children are screaming just a few feet away, it's different. It's a story. It's specific to them. Rafael likes that.

"That's how you'd say it? Just like that?"

"Just like that. Over and over until you couldn't take it anymore. I love you."

"I know."

Rafael envies the ease with which Sonny keeps saying the words. He has a tendency not to reveal anything exceptionally personal about himself unless it becomes necessary or useful. He doesn't say things he doesn't mean, he doesn't pointlessly pray for the weather to get better like he'd do as a boy, and he isn't necessarily opposed to showing his emotions but when it comes to talking about them, that's a completely different can of worms. 

It's different with Sonny. With Sonny, he can smile or laugh or bury his head against Sonny's shoulder during the scariest bits of horror movies or drag him along to Starbucks for a secretly adored beverage or even cry when he admits things like he's _glad_ his father's gone. With Sonny, he knows he's safe to say exactly what he wants to say back and there's a level of importance to that Rafael can't quite find the vocabulary for to properly express.

Rafael has wanted to say it for some time, too. _It_. Can he even admit it to himself in the recesses of his mind? Without even saying it out loud, can he allow himself the luxury of the notion of giving his heart over to this man who already has it? They'd fallen into this thing with the intention of ending it right away, no strings attached, and yet, here they are. There's a magnetism between them Rafael has never felt with anyone else, not with Yelina or Alex or anyone since. He'd always just assumed that time had passed for him, he'd accepted a remaining lifetime of being alone. 

Rafael hadn't realized anything was missing from his life until Sunny was suddenly there to fill the void. 

_Say it_ , he begs himself, it should be easier than this. Just say it. The thing about it is, Rafael doesn't know how, he hasn't had practice, and for all that he's so rarely at a loss for words in most other aspects of his life, Sonny is always the one rendering him speechless. Rafael studies Sonny's face, examining each edge and curve he's already memorized like he's seeing them all for the first time all over again. Sonny doesn't say anything, just watches Rafael watch him, and it makes Rafael's heart swell to know that Sonny so often seems to understand exactly what he needs. 

Because Sonny loves him. 

Rafael loves Sonny, too. 

There it is.

He turns the words over in his mind a bit, letting them really sink in, letting them make the trip from his brain to his tongue, where they really belong. _He loves Sonny, too_. It should be obvious to anyone paying attention. Look at what he's wearing, for God's sake, who would show up to a party like this for someone they didn't love?

So he opens his mouth. "I--"

"Uncle Sonny!"

Jesse comes bounding into the kitchen like she's the one who's had a little too much to drink then, practically stumbling over the floor in her pink cowgirl boots, and she heads straight for Sonny's legs so she can throw her arms around one. She's interrupted a _moment_ , Rafael can't help but think bitterly, but it's hard to stay mad at a child who hadn't known any better and smiles with a set of dimples that almost rival Sonny's. Or maybe it's just hard to stay mad when Sonny is grinning at him so widely like that, as if he knows what Rafael had been about to say before being so rudely disturbed.

For the time being, though, Sonny shifts his attention to the little girl at his feet and kneels down to meet her eye level. "Hey, you found me! How'd you do that, you're a master of hide-and-seek!"

They hadn't even been playing, Rafael almost points out, but he's yet again interrupted by another voice from behind him.

"Sorry about that, Carisi, Counselor." Amanda is just barely holding back a smirk suggestive of the fact that she must know exactly what she'd stepped in on, moving from the kitchen entrance to tug her daughter away from Sonny's shins. "Jesse and the other kids out there kept asking you about, Carisi, she wanted to go looking for you. Think you made quite an impression with all that candy you handed out earlier."

"I live to please," Sonny tells her, straightening back up with a far too adorably pleased smile. "I'll be right behind you, okay?"

"They'll be waiting," Amanda says, glancing down at Sonny's glass, still more than half full. "Maybe don't bring that with you. Maybe don't drink the whole thing, either. This is a kids' party, you realize that, right? Counselor, please keep him in line."

"Get out of here!" Sonny exclaims with a laugh, shooing her and Jesse out of the kitchen before refocusing his attention on Rafael. "I'm going to call my parents tomorrow, I promise."

"Whenever you can," Rafael says softly. He closes the gap between them and takes one familiar, polka dotted suspender strap between his fingers, tugging on it just hard enough that a light, satisfying _snap_ sounds when its released against Sonny's chest. Pressing a soft kiss against Sonny's jaw, perfectly aware that they're visible from the living room, Rafael rests a hand over Sonny's hip and leans in closer to murmur, "These are going to look so much better on the floor when we get home tonight."

"Now you know how I feel." Rafael takes satisfaction in hearing that his boyfriend sounds ever so slightly breathless. "That's not a gun in my pocket, by the way, I'm just happy to see you."

 _Awful_.

Rafael groans and pulls back a bit so he can fix Sonny with a glare of faux disappointment and disgust. "There are children present, you perv."

"You are so getting it when we get back. I'm going to make very good use of a tie, that's all I'm saying."

"As long as it's with one of your ugly ones," Rafael retorts, "I can't be letting you ruin mine."

Sonny scoffs but still grins before leaning down to press a lingering kiss to Rafael's lips. "Give it another hour, then we're out of here?"

"I'll try my best to last that long," Rafael agrees woefully. It's hard to free himself of their embrace, but he takes comfort in knowing he'll be back in those arms soon enough. Until then, there's something he has left to do. "Sonny?"

Sonny stops short at the corner leading from the kitchen to the living room, looking at Rafael over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

The words catch in Rafael's throat. He swallows hard. "Don't let any of those kids ruin that suit."

Rolling his eyes, Sonny waves a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, I got this covered."

"Sonny?"

"Yeah, Raf?"

With a deep breath and a full heart, Rafael smooths down the front of the Fordham Law tee-shirt and says, "I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my glorious beta [chickcheney](http://archiveofourown.org/users/chickcheney/pseuds/chickcheney) for making sure I don't make a complete fool of myself before posting another chapter. 
> 
> Thanks also to all of you who have read and left comments and kudos. Barisi fandom is one of the most welcoming I've been a part of, and I'm so glad we can band together and share in our love for ADA Extra and Detective Sunshine. I love you all and appreciate your support more than you know! 
> 
> (For the record, there does actually exist a shirt like the one Barba is wearing in this chapter. [I almost bought this](http://i.imgur.com/c6hsFNq.jpg) and now it's gone. I have regrets.)


End file.
